FateStay Night Dark Illya Route
by Terian
Summary: An alternate version of the HF route with variations in certain events, with Second Sorcery playing a huge role. Includes two Shirous, an infested Illya instead of Sakura, and lots and lots of GARRR
1. Chapter 1

Fate/Stay Night

The hidden cavern beneath Ryudou temple is empty now, void of any shadows or death. Nonetheless, the stench of blood and the sweetness of rotting flowers still permeates the area, as though for eternities the cave would still remember the events that had occurred, even when no one else would. Drops of dew drop down from the cracked ceilings. The sound of heavy pouring rain fills the silence that lingers ominously.

In this place, Tohsaka Rin had used the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch, a weapon capable of slicing through multiple dimensions with the help of Second Magic. It was the only way to defeat the shadows that Sakura, a girl tainted by the darkness of Angra Manju, had summoned. She must have used the sword many times, within the empty dips of space, mana still lingers from the infinite number of parallel universes.

The knife had slashed into many different universes, of all types of varieties. There were universes where the Holy Grail War had simply not happened, where the cavern had no use, and even some where Rin herself was using the knife against Sakura. The remnants of these slashes still remain, although vague and distant. They could only be seen at certain angles, glinting in the blue light.

It's not likely at all, but theoretically one could fall into one of these universes, if done at the right angles…


	2. Chapter 2

Illyasviel von Einzbern woke energetically in her western style room at 6 AM. It had been three days since the Holy Grail War started, and to be honest she was kind of bored. Earlier in the war, she had encountered Emiya Shirou, Tohsaka Rin, and their respective masters. She was bout to wipe the floor with all of them, but for some reason Shirou decided to take the brunt of one of Berserker's attacks. That wasn't fun at all. In reality she just wanted Saber and Tohsaka dead, so she could spend more time with her onii-chan…

"Ugh," she mumbled. "I'm so mad! I wanted to have more fun with him too..."

She pummeled her soft and feathery pillow and her endless supply of stuffed animals. Her room was especially girly, with bright colors, flowers, and animals al over the place. It definitely did not look like the type of place a master would have her base at. In fact, the Einzbern castle, isolated in the maze-like forest, looked as though from a dream, with Renaissance statues and Gothic architecture.

Berserker hid himself in the back of the castle, covered by an overarching roof. He mainly slept during the day, as though to conserve the energy of her master. Although Illya had an enormous magic circuit, due to her composition, it was better that she have enough to sustain Berserker's full potential for the duration of the war. Although Berserkers usually are not sane enough to follow this rule (they ususally rampage throughout their surroundings and drain energy), Illya's servant had enough manners even in his state to do so.

This was because there was a special bond between these two, stretching even before the Holy Grail War had even started. Mad in their pursuit for the Holy Grail that would grant their dreams, they had summoned the giant beast several days before the war. In order to facilitate the correct relationship between the two, they had them fend for themselves in the wintry forest. During this time, Berserker had become as close as a father could be to Illya, protecting her from wild beasts and monsters of different ranks. Although insane, Berserker kept some of his nobility and divinity and was considerate for this little girl. This is quite ironic since in his previous life, he had killed his family in his madness. In a sense, he might've been more noble in this life than back then.

Illya climbed towards the window and looked down at the monstrocity beneath him.

"Oy, Berserker, you still awake?" she asked whimsically.

The iron giant utters a low roar as a sign of acknowledgement. In a sense, he has retained some of his mind, such as his thought processes, but he has forgotten any kind of particular skills. As a result, he does not have knowledge of language, riding skills, or any formal usage of a weapon. For the most part, he has to power through his opponents with his Master providing strategic advice.

"I bet you were really strong back in your life…it's such a shame you became a Berserker…" she said in an awe-like state. She had a fetish for power, and wondered at all the things his Servant could've done if he were a Saber or a Lancer, or even an Archer.

Berserker nodded slightly, but offers no other emotion. There is no place for doubt within him. His class's power had strengthened him beyond his physical capabilities during his lifetime, but even without the class he was still ridiculously strong since he was half god and half man.

She looks outside her window playfully and waves her hands towards Berserker. "Oh well, this is fine as well. We'll crush everyone else, I'm sur eof it! After all, you're incredibly strong."

She looks down, and an arbitrary thought zips past her head. It takes over her mind, momentarily making her a little insane.

"But," she asks in doubt. "You will stay with me, no matter what, right? No matter what kind of person I might be?"

He will not judge her. The man, in his lifetime, had done so many horrific things that anything in this age could not possibly compare. However, even he was not sure sometimes. Illyasviel von Einzbern was…innocent, but in an eerie way. Her cognition of good and evil is very fragile. For the most part, the things that are evil are those things which are unnatural and naturally evil. What is considered "good" is very ambiguous, and her capricious nature could change anytime.

Illya looks away and starts getting ready. Her two maids, Sella and Leysritt, would make a huge fuss if she didn't act proper, even in the isolation of the forest. She'd probably have to spend her entire day learning magic that had no use, or basically wasting the entire day until sunset, where she'd prowl around looking around for Servants and Masters.

"Well, I'm bored. I think I'll run away. Let's go Berserker. Of course, you'll have to be sneaky…we can't get caught 3."


	3. Chapter 3

At the park closeby to the shopping district sits a man around eighteen, wearing raggy jeans and a blue and white T-shirt. His orange-brown hair shivers in the icy wind; it's rather cold today , but it's not like he can leave.

"Ahhhh, Shirou, so this is the park huh?" the girl walks around in wonder and amazement. "I can't believe this…this is crazy…where's this been all my life?"

Warmly clad in her purple coat and scarf, her white silky hair and crimson eyes glide through the air, as though dancing. It was a beautiful sight: the azure leaves falling down from the pine trees, the air beneath her cracking into snowflakes, and the warm sound of happiness. He could hardly tell that she was a Master. Definitely, she should not have been one, if fate had been so kind.

"Jeez," Shirou half-heartedly complained. "I can't tell if you're a cold hearted killer or just a little sister or something."

"Hey, " she whimsically turned to him. "Just so you know, I'm older than you."

"Whatt? No way. How old are you?"

"Eighteen," she replied with a smug glint in her eye.

"What month?"

"January."

Shirou spat in disgust, mainly at himself. He was born in March, so that meant that she was older than him, which made absolutely no sense. She's like some twisted loli that wants to kill people (at least that's what his image of her last night was).

He resigned, "Well it's ok. I guess you are fun to play with, as long as you're not about to kill me." He smiled as Illya skipped towards him and sat next to him.

He couldn't deny it. In some aspect, she would've made a really cute sister to just hang around with. In some alternate world, he might've been able to spend eternity with her.

There was an odd silence. For a bit, it was just those two, just smiling and enjoying the scene. The snow began to lightly descend upon the ground. It would not last, of course, but the idea of it seemed beautiful. Each flake of snow seemed like its own Noble Phantasm, so beautiful it confounds the mind yet so fleeting it might as well not be real. But there it is, before your very own eyes.

"Hey, Shirou…why did you want to enter the war in the first place? It doesn't seem like you have anything you particularly need?" she wondered.

Thinking for a second, Shirou gave a kind of whimsical reply, "So I can save cute little girls like you from getting killed."

"Oh…really?" she asked in a daze. "You think I'm all that adorable, cute, innocent, and worth saving? You know, I'm the one that injured Saber with Berserker."

"Yeah…but that's just because of the situation we're in. I don't really think fighting is your thing, so as long as we're not fighting I'd like to think of you in this way. Is that fine?"

Illya beamed. As stupid as this man was, she couldn't help but laugh. After all, in this dark war, everyone should be aiming for each others' throats. This meeting should'nt have existed, and Shirou should have nothing but contempt for her. But for some reason, somewhere in her heart she wished for this meeting because of all the loneliness…all the sadness…and when she should have all the rights to kill Shirou, she just couldn't.

"Ugh," Illya said in disgust. "I thought I could come here to find a good reason to kill you, but you're just too nice." She stood up and turned away from Shirou. "I really did…but I think I'll have to spare you until later."

"Really, Illya?" he replied, looking up to her. "Why did you want to kill me so bad?"

She pulled out a long piece of white string out of her hair. Even in the sun the string glimmered with an almost mystical glow, reflecting light into streams of color.

"This is etherealyte, a material that can remotely connect two people, from the very pits of their souls. If you really want to know,I'll let you…look inside me. This is only you though, ok?" she couldn't stop blushing.

"Of course, this means I can look inside you and find out your secrets as well, but I won't do that, I promise. However, this means that you have to promise me one thing."

"You absolutely cannot tell anyone about anything in my life…"

Shirou nodded in agreement, and in a single instance a sharp pain rang through his head. It was like one of those moments when one is struck by a speeding bullet. All of a sudden, a streaming flurry of images, vague and blunt, flowed through his mind. He winced and looked at Illya awkwardly.

"You know," he said while wincing. "You could at least have warned me about that."

She laughed, but turned around and started walking away. "Haha yeah…well, onii-san, I think I've got to go. It's evening soon and I have to get around to killing other Masters. See you around soon?"

Before long, Shirou too started to head home. Saber would definitely start worrying about him if he did not come home early enough.


	4. Chapter 4

The cool autumn wind breezes through the dark green leaves of the trees surrounding the Ryudou Temple. At the top of the steps, a graceful warrior sits at the top of the stairs. His blue hair follows the wave like a bird as he watches over for intruders.

His name is Sasaki Koujiro, or so it may seem. Rather, it was what he was summoned to be. IN reality, there was no such person. Therefore, to summon such a fictional hero, there had to be loopholes in the strict wording of hero. In his case, the hero "Sasaki Koujiro" was treated as a title given to those who could fit his criteria. That is to say, the one who could perform his "Reversal Swallow" and acquire the same level of skill that is to be said of the legendary master. However, in reality he truly was not this person; he was just another swordsman who lived in the mountains and attained this spectacular ability.

It was through his Master's ability that he was able to be pulled from the Throne of Heroes, from which he had not come from. Through all types of realities and space-time continuums, he was summoned. It wasn't something that he could really contest. Even though it was impossible. Even though it was unrealistic. Even though it was fantastic. Even though perhaps only a few days ago, he was training in the mountainside of Japan hundreds of years ago. The truth remains that he is here now. Having understood the rules of the Holy Grail War, he promptly took his place as the watchman of the temple, hopefully expecting a worthy fight.

"Oh, so you are still here," said a dark and frail voice behind him.

He took his stance, ready to cut down anything in his path. The shadow suddenly appeared behind him, causing him to fall off his guard.

"If you are still concerned about guarding the Servant Caster, then you have no worries. I have already taken care of her. However, I have interest in you, Assassin. Or rather, should I say, the False Servant Sasaki Koujiro."

Assasin lowered his blade in resignment. This would mean that his job was over, that he would soon disappear due to the lack of magical energy channeled towards him. This was such a boring predicament. He thought he could at least get a good fight before heading back to his normal life.

The shadowy figure smiled, "No, you won't return. Most Servants would, of course, return to the Throne of Heroes after being defeated or vanished, but this isn't the case for you. You, Koujiro-san, are still alive. Your heart beats like a normal man, not like a heroic spirit of this world. What keeps you breathing is not the Earth, but your very existence."

"Wait," he sudddenly muttered nervously. "What are you talking about? I won't return back to my normal life after this? What's going to happen to me?"

She put her finger to her mouth, biting it in thought. "Well, if you're still a normal human being (although extremely powerful), then if you disappear from this earth, you'll just disappear."

He became extremely angry. It wasn't even his own fault that he was in this situation. He had a normal life and it was suddenly taken away from him. Assassin cursed himself and staked his sword into the ground. The shadowy figure smiled and laughed at his anguish.

"SO what are you going to do now? You'll need a new Master soon, or else you'll just disappear. You'll die, having not even left any mark of on the earth, not even as a heroic spirit. "

He looked up, his eyes in a faint sense of depair, yet still smiling. "I suppose this is the part where you offer some kind of deal to me, right?"

"Yeah, pretty much. If you work for me, I'll make sure you have fun. You'll be able to fight all the Servants, like Saber and Archer and Lancer and all that. Not only that, but I'll even give you cheat codes so your parameters will heighten up a little bit, since you'll probably be a little bit more like Assassin."

Assassin stood up, his head leveled high and looking towards the full moon. This reeked of evil and twisted nobility, but this was the only chance he had at living the life he wanted. In reality, it didn't matter what side he was on. Warriors don't need a side; they just need an enemy.

The shadows soon surrounded him and he fell into a sea of blackness. He could sense all the corruption, but it didn't affect him the least. Of course, this would be incredibly toxic to those with noble causes, but he was still a human being, unaffected by the black shadow. After all, in his time, entire villages were consumed by this evil. He let himself go, his body covered in darkness.

The dark figure smiled childishly, "Well I've gotten another Servant, so now we'll see that goes. Too bad we let another one go. Maybe I'll go for Saber next."


	5. Chapter 5

Looking outside towards the window, I see a sky covered in emptiness, without star or moon. The crickets are cricketing, but there is just utter silence. In front of me is Saber, a graceful woman who had become my Servant in the Holy Grail War not even a week ago. It was in that time that I was absorbed into a world filled with magi and sorcery, but I know that I must accept it. Years from now, I'll probably look back and wonder what kind of idiot I was to not reject everything, but something inside me is saying that I shouldn't leave this alone. Rather, it was Fate that I was to be in all this.

Even though she was somewhat cold and apathetic in the beginning, it wasn't too long until Saber started mellowing out. I still stand by my ideals, so girls shouldn't be fighting, but Saber turned out to be really strong. Like, this wasn't the type of skill that could be met by hard work. She was a prodigy, a master of her art (well of course, she's Saber). After our fight with Berserker, when both of us were almost torn in two, I realized that if we were to survive, I would have to trust in her. Conversely, she had to trust in me.

Eventually, we started sparring so I could get in the mood of battle. I had acquired some skill from Kitsuragi, but she was just on another level, even if she was going easy. On another note, I had reminded her that since she was here, there was time for work and time for fun. On one morning, for example, I skipped school and went to the market and got a plethora of pastries. It turns out that Saber's taste tended to lean towards Western sweets than Japanese. However, she took everything with enthusiasm, perhaps even a hint of cuteness. It was funny, seeing her blush when I teased her. Actually, it was nice enough sometimes just to sit still, watching her riveting face, her pale composition, her slender arms, and her golden hair. It was like a dream.

It wasn't long until we both decided that our nighttime should be dedicated to finding Masters. Tohsaka, who we had teamed up with, had agreed to. Sometimes we would patrol together, but more often than not we agreed to search different areas to spread out our routes.

"Are you ready to head out? It's almost midnight," Saber says, calmly with such a noble tone that one could tremble in such elegance. The last few minutes, we had been drinking tea, but it was getting cold and the situation was getting kind of quiet, so I was glad she took the initiative.

"Yeah," I reply. "Let's do this. Just remember, while Tohsaka's out, we can't do anything too rash like fighting Berserker or anything. We just want to check the situation for now and prevent anyone from dying."

She nods in agreement. "Yes, of course. She said she was going to check the Ryudou Temple because of the magical activity there, so we should patrol the neighborhood around us. There may be someone taking out anyone walking around."

Both of us stand up. We're in the living room and we're about to head out the door. However, in front of us is a completely unbelievable sight.

"Pardon me, but I am not here to fight. This is urgent."

Rider is standing in front of us, with Sakura in her arms. She is bruised and hurt, as though she were about to die. My heart stops beating and all of a sudden I become scared. It's the not the scared for my life, but the kind of feeling of confusion and imbalance.

Saber quickly takes Sakura and carries her back. "Please, come in, Rider."


	6. Chapter 6

Sakura's conciousness returned about an hour after she was carried in by Saber. She looked up, faintly but with a mild nervousness. There was absolutely no way that this event would not raise many, many crucial questions. Why was she with Rider? What had happened that injured her so heavily? Wasn't Shinji Rider's Master? However, she could not but yearn for more and more rest. However, some regret had struggled to keep her awake. After all, she had caused unnecessary stress for her senpai and for this other person as well.

Actually, she knew exactly who this blonde-haired woman was. She was Saber, Shirou's Servant. She had clearly sensed something the day that she had arrived, but there wasn't any real place to confront Shirou about this without revealing herself. In some way, though, even if she didn't want this foreign woman to be here, there was nothing Sakura could do.

"This is bad," Shirou said with frustration. "Not only that, but Rin isn't back either. We can't do anything for Sakura like this. Are you sure this is the problem?"

"My knowledge of magical beings is very limited, and I don't think we should head to that priest just yet…I sense foul play. It feels like there is some kind of…hollow pathway in her body. It's as though someone had pulled a parasitic root system out of her," Saber replied.

Rider calmly announced to the two, "Yes, you're right, Saber. Matou Zouken—you should have met him earlier—had implemented a crest worm into her to force her into the Holy Grail War. It served to make several things happen—"

She raised three of her fingers. "The first is to make sure that as a Master, she participate in the war."

"But," Shirou asked. "Wasn't Shinji your Master? How does this work out?"

"Normally, Sakura should have been fighting this war. But the Matou family has this sacred artifact called The Book of False Prophets. Basically, similar to the Rule Breaker weapon, it breaks magical contracts. In addition, it transfers contracts to other people, allowing non-magi to control Servants and use magic."

Saber interjected, "So basically, Sakura transferred her Master's right to Shinji…probably because she couldn't fight…or didn't want to. Even so, how could Sakura have enough magical potential to summon you, Rider?"

Rider thought for a second and replied, "I don't completely know…but from my experience at the Matou household it appears that Sakura was actually adopted to suceed the Matou name, since Shinji had no magical potential. This is probably why—

Please don't say it…Sakura thought. Not to Senpai…not to anyone…-Sakura yearned to say. Revealing this would mean revealing her heart, which could just…destroy her. She wasn't strong enough to confront this monster just yet…and some how her feelings became evident to Rider.

"No…I shouldn't say. All I will say are that there are some problems between Sakura and Shinji…which you probably know. This is all I know about the matter."

Shirou understood and said, "That's fine…I have some theories as well. So what are the other two reasons for the crest worm?"

"I can explain that better myself," Sakura faintly said. She sat up from her futon, weak but struggling to sit straight. "The second reason was to provide an artifical vessel to the Holy Grail, with some modifications. The third is to provide a bodily vessel for Zouken to take over. "

Shirou and Saber were shocked, in many ways. They had learned earlier that the Einzberns were supposed to provide the vessel for the Holy Grail, so the fact that the Matou family had prepared yet another vessel was alarming. In addition, the idea of Zouken becoming this incredibly powerful Holy Grail was an enormous red flag.

"That man," Shirou angrily said with fists clenched. "He's evil…pure evil…like a vampire. He will probably use the Holy Grail to give himself some ridiculous wish that could damn the world. I wouldn't doubt that these modifications would mean some kind of disaster like…the one before."

"Oh," she remembered. "You don't have to worry about that. He's dead."

"Wait, what?" Saber and Shirou simultaneously said in awe. In all this, Rider seemed to be completely calm.

Sakura was completely embaressed, blushing quite heavily. She wished that Shirou had not been the one to learn this from her, but this was really the only way to explain things. Lying about her true self just didn't feel right, and there would be a lot more trouble later on if this wasn't explained.

"I have a confession to make, Shirou. The crest worm inside my body had continuously sucked out my mana, giving me huge cravings. For someone like me, there was only one way to obtain mana...and Zouken had forced me to…kill at night," she said, whimpering at the thought of their reactions.

However, all the two had for her was complete pity. They understood what was going on. Saber and Shirou knew that she wasn't the type to kill or murder. Because of this, she was able to continue.

"This was going to be my second night, so I had only killed maybe three the day before. This time, Zouken had told me to head to the Ryudou Temple to kill Caster and her Master. Doing this would give me enough mana to take a break for several days. I jumped at the chance to do this. However, after absorbing Caster…"

Her head went blank. She could not remember what happened next, but it was frightening for her. It was as though something had taken over her, and the events that had happened were not even a part of her. She rattled her head, but nothing came up.

"I don't know….but something attacked me…and I lost. I don't know if I'm as strong as you Servants, but I'm really powerful as well. I think I put up a good fight, but before I knew it I was in front of this incredible monstrocity…I was already half dead and I thought I was done for."

Sakura looked into herself and pulled out the last memory she could. Shirou and Saber and Rider were looking at her with complete interest. She was exhausted. However, thankfully, the most important part had already passed.

"All of a sudden, my command seals came back. Usually, they'd be on Shinji's Book of False Prophets, but at the perfect time I received them again. I used two command seals: to summon Rider and for Rider to save me. I'm really sorry, but I really don't remember who this assailant was. I wouldn't doubt that it was some extemely strong Master," Sakura sighed.

Shirou's first thought was that one girl, but he couldn't have imagined that she was that ruthless or powerful. Instead, he asked if she knew why she could summon Rider.

"I don't understand what happened in that situation either, but I suspect that something happened to Shinji."

Saber contemplated the situation patiently, "I can guess that Shinji got into a nasty situation and his book was destroyed. Actually, Rider, you know what happened, right?"

Rider actually smiled with some hint of trepidation. "It's strange…but while we were patrolling the area watching around for victims…something strange happened. Shinji was actually attacked by…"

She raised her hand, and pointed right at Shirou.

"It was you."


	7. Chapter 7

Wind rustles the leaves. The leaves float off the trees, swaying in the sky. Blood lust fills the air, dancing like droplets of rain. This is not the normal neighborhood of Fuyuki Town. Rather, it seems like some alternate dimension had overtaken the normally calm setting of this world. This is now the world of magic and sorcery, mystical yet overbearing.

This place was once the battleground of an incredible battle, with Masters and Servants fighting with such power that the foundation of the entire town was at risk. In the end, the magical energy released by the formal Holy Grail had made the place unnaturally unstable. Even humans could sense that something wrong had happened her. Visible to theeye, the particles of mana leaking from indistinguishable slits in space started to gather. They clump together, each shining as bright as a stars in the sky.

Shinji and Rider happened to have stumbled upon this phenomenon. They were patrolling the park for victims that could be harvested without any problems. This had been the routine ever since Rider was summoned, since he could not offer her any magical energy. In addition, this would make her even more powerful. To him, it was a win-win situation. After all, his goal was to obtain the Holy Grail.

"Eh, what's this, Rider?" he asked.

This was strange, of course. He had never read about this in his father's library.

"I am not sure…but we should get back…this may be some kind of trick or magic that could compromise us," Rider muttered composed.

The light becomes more and more visible, to the point where it had become a floating ball in the air. It twirls and twists, growing like some kind of animal. There are sounds eminating from it, unknown to human intellect. Inside this ball, it feels like all sorts of Sorcery had come together, magic that exceeds the efforts of human ability, only available to the small few.

IT soon explodes into a tower of light, soaring to the heavens. Shinji immediately grew pale, afraid of what might come from this great tower.

"Master, please stand behind me. This magic is beyond us, so if it is necessary I will guarantee us an escape route," Rider told Shinji.

A human-like shape appeared from the magical void. His hair was orange-redish but slightly grayed out. His posture was proud and he looked incredibly strong, even though he wore no armor, but normal clothes. The "air" around him was rough and tense. He turned around and looked at Shinji, who immediately turned white.

"Rider! Get him right now! Hit him while he's not looking!" Shinji yelled. There was absolutely no way to run away from this guy. He's the type that would follow Shinji to the ends of the earth. This was no speculation, but fact.

"What's going on—" the man asked himself. He was confused, disoriented, and dazed. However, there was no time to hesitate—Rider was making his attack.

The clash was almost instantaneous. Rider struck with inhuman speed, but just at the same time, the man retaliated with equal strength. This man, who was supposed to be mortal and thus weak, was fighting head on with a heroic spirit. The more the battle went on, the more scared Shinji went. He was strong, too strong. His life was in danger.

Two short swords appeared in the man's hands, two very powerful swords that, when together, boosted the user's strength incredibly. Not only that, but they are fated by the gods to be together . Kansho and Bakuya gleamed in the moonlight, dancing in the fray.

"Hmmm…" the man wondered while exchanging blows with Rider, who was getting more and more frustrated. "I don't quite understand the situation I'm in, but—"

He struck a feint to Rider and, using his incredible strong arm, dealt a crippling blow to Rider's abdomen. She flew back several feet, long enough for him to dash towards Shinji. Shinji attempted to run away, but the man quickly caught up to him. He grabbed the back of Shinji's head, grappling tightly onto his disgustingly purple hair. Using the momentum, he threw Shinji towards a tree with monstrous speed.

"Now that I have the chance, I can finally beat the crap out of you for Sakura, Shinji," he grinned. "For everything you've done to her to make her the way she is, and the reason why she's now lost to me."

For some reason, this man was pissed. Well, of course, he would be mad at him for all he did in the Holy Grail War, with the hunt and the barrier over the school. However, this person seemed to know everything vile that he had done, to the point of murderous intent. Not only that, but he had lost his sense of weakness. He was no longer just a human being. He was much more stronger, enough to contend with Rider. Shinji looked up at the man, and he could not but notice his left arm, radiating authority and strength.

"What's with you Shirou," he said with his last shred of egotistic courage. He was really scared, scared enough to wet himself. "You're not really going to kill me, are you?"

"The me before, the one that wanted to be a hero, probably couldn't. He would want to save you, who doesn't deserve to live," Shirou said judgementally. "Actually, I don't feel like I have the authority to kill you, especially since this is all strange to me. However, that doesn't stop me from getting very close."

"After all…" he said, with regret and hatred in his voice. "Because of you, I had to push myself to the limits. I can't even imagine her face anymore, her beautiful serene face. I can't have dinner with her at my place anymore. I can't even see her painful face, covered in the shadows, nor can I relieve her from her pain. All I am is a corpse, revived in someone's ridiculous game. And YOU, Matou Shinji, caused her so much anguish. "

Shirou punched with tree behind Shinji with absurd strength, making a dent in the tree. IT would've been a fatal blow, for sure, but he barely dodged the attack. In the process, however, Shirou managed to wrestle away the book that he had been carrying.

"Please…don't kill me. I'll do anything you ask, honest. I didn't mean to cause anyone harm," Shinji whimpered. He didn't want to die. He had so much in the future waiting for him, so if he had to, he'd even stop being a Master.

Stabbing the book with his materialized swords, he disintegrated the book into dust. Rider would not come to help Shinji escape, even though she promised. She PROMISED to help him. What a dirty liar, a messed up whore. He cursed Rider. He cursed Sakura who gave her Rider. He cursed Grandpa Zouken who pulled their family into this Holy Grail War.

"Yeah, right," Shirou smirked. "Beg for your life."

The first punch nearly knocked Shinji out. The second one finished the job. He was on the threshhold of life, with flashes running through his head. He just couldn't understand where Shirou had obtained his strength. Even yesterday, Shinji knew that Shirou could not even lay a finger on Rider's speed. But now he could fight on par, perhaps even on a higher level than Rider's combat ability.

"Hold on, Shirou," another mysterious voice calls from the darkness. "Sakura won't be able to forgive you if you kill Shinji."

This voice was reason, but he had long thrown those ideals away. On the verge of fulfilling his revenge, it seemed that he had forgotten his true goals. He could not but start crying, realizing his situation, and yet he didn't know what to do.

"This isn't your business, Archer," Shirou muttered. "Go and kill your former self already."

Archer stepped out of the shadows, completely serious and with that kind of killing instinct. The air from these two were similar, almost too similar.

Archer replied to Shirou, "If anything, you resemble me more than 'him.' Should I kill you instead?"

"I don't care about what happens to me, but you know what will happen to your Master if I even as much cripple you," Shirou retorted. It seemed as though he properly understood what had happened to him. For some strange reason, he was pulled from his own world into this completely new reality.

Laughing with some sense of sarcasm (you've learned well, he thought) , Archer smiled and said, "Yes, that might be a problem. Let's just call this a truce then. But seriously, don't put yourself in a situation you don't really need. You've already had your revenge."

The two stood against each other, face to face. Archer looked almost like a father to this Shirou, as though the striking image of father and son. Shirou's hair was fading to gray, the sign of having used reality marbles too often. Both of them didn't fully understand the situation, but they both understood that their urges to kill were overpowering them, and an understanding had to be reached one way or another.

"Tell me," Shirou asked abruptly. "Is Sakura still alive in this world?"

"Yes."

"What about the Shadow? Is she still consumed?"

Archer looked away, as though perplexed from some past event. "No, she is no longer infested by the crest worm, so she is not currently the shadow."

Shirou's heart lifted, but at the same time he was confused. If she was not the carrier of the Angra Mangyu, then what had happened?

"On that note, if you want to save her, as well as everyone else, then we need to make a business proposition. As you can see, I really want to kill you. I've never been so close to killing my former self as you, who literally has obtained a part of me in some faroff world," Archer sighed. "But because of what has just happened, we need to cooperate. It just so happens that my Master is incapcitated, unable to provide me the ability to keep myself in this world no longer. And you just happen to be the most suitable Master."

Shirou dropped his two short swords as they disintegrated back into Unlimited Blade Works. His eyes tingled. This was interesting. Very interesting.


	8. Chapter 8

It was very quiet in this moonlight twilight as Rider and Archer ascended the steps of the Ryudou Temple. Both of them had sensed an incredible concentration of magical energy in the area, but as they approached the top, it seemed that the disturbing presence had disappeared. However, both of them agreed not to ignore the fact that something was up there.

"Archer, didn't you say that you sensed another Servant besides Caster up here?" Rin asked. "Or was that another failure on your part?"

Archer chuckled and replied, "Please, spare me the insults. There was, but he seems to have disappeared as well. I do not sense any killing instinct, so it should be fine if we progress."

Step by step, the seemingly endless group of stairs seemed to dwindle bit by bit. Rin gulped, nervous of what might come ahead. She had agreed to split up with Shirou, that they could probably take what might've been up there, but at a second glance—

"Watch out!" Archer warned Rin.

He took a step back, and muttered "I am the bone of my sword—Rho Aias!"

Beautiful petals, forming an enormous shield in front of him, shrouded their front, slowly curving backwards to protect their sides. They were magnificent pink petals, composed of mythical magical energy that could null any ranged damage. Rin couldn't see why Archer projected them so suddenly, but she could soon see it.

Nine blinding lights, faster than bullets and far more penetrating flew up into the sky and suddenly curved down. They increased speed, diving right towards the two. As physically strong as they were, the factual construction of these petals managed to feebly repel these attacks. After all, a weapon that is designed to counter ranged attacks will repel them no matter how strong another weapon may be from legend.

Not only that, but Rho Aias was designed to be an impenetrable fortress with seven layers. The arrows all stroke at roughly the same time, but of course they had to be staggered, even if they were simultaneous in concept. The ability of an EX Noble Phantasm could not be underestimated. Roughly four layers were taken out by the direct attack, but Archer could feel the brunt of each strike. He winced in pain.

"Oh that's a shame, I was going to take you out with Shirou as well, but my plans seem to have changed," the voice announced from the top of the stairs.

"Illya!—"

The girl, clothed in a purple winter coat and a pure white skirt, stood at the zenith of the temple with a deranged look in her eyes, yet still noble and proud. At her side was the Servant Berserker, or at least, it was supposed to be. From the side of her arm, smoke rose as another command seal disappeared. This was fine, since she had many of them at her disposal. After all, this is what her 'purpose' was, and what she was designed for.

"I'm sorry, but it seems that I wasn't able to achieve the 'complete' annihilation that you wished from me," said the colossus at her side. "Rho Aias really is phenomenal. It was able to absorb the might of Nine Lives."

He wore a golden armor, shining brilliantly underneath the moonlight. Crafted by the blacksmiths of King Eurystheus, it served for this Servant as the physical manifestation of "God Hand, the Noble Phantasm that allowed him up to twelve mortal wounds. It also nullified any attack below the rank B, making him the ultimate fortress, unable to be killed and thus the strongest Servant. However, there was a kind of brilliance from him, unlike the ragged insanity from their last encounter. He didn't seem like Berserker at all, but rather true born divinity.

Illya said merrily, "It's fine, Berserker. I expected that Archer would figure out what was coming. After all, he is 'that person.' I knew it all along…the feeling from those two is too similar."

The giant stepped forth, his every step crushing the ground beneath him. He couldn't possibly be a Servant. It was too overpowering that he could even be in this War. He was just too powerful, at least in the way he was.

"Pleased, to meet you, my name is Hercules, son of Zeus. I hope that my disturbed self had not embarrassed himself too much, but I am here now. "

Rin was caught by surprise. This was definitely Berserker, but at the same time he wasn't. Usually, they would have the Mad Enhancement, which could increase their power but remove their sanity. However, it seemed that this Berserker was completely sane. What did this mean?

"There's no time to think about this, Rin!" Archer warned. He quickly summoned his two swords, Kansho and Bakuya, and quickly restored one more flower shield for Rho Aias. This was all he could manage at the time, especially as he had to repel the shadow that seemed to be spreading. "We have to get out of here!"

"Oh, about to leave already? But that won't happen. You see, Berserker hasn't had a chance to fight lately, and I want to spoil him right now," Illya snickered.

Tohsaka knew what would happen if it was true that Berserker's sanity had returned. His A+ in Bravery and his Eye of the Mind ability were active, and his Noble Phantasm Nine Lives (clearly) could be used. In all, this was an enemy not to be engaged directly. She was frustrated. Berserker was already unapproachable in his insane form, but now he was just plain impossible to defeat.

"Did you defeat Caster as well?" Rin asked cooly.

Ilya raised her finger to her mouth, wondering how to respond. "Nope, that was someone else, but I cleaned them up too. However, I did manage to collect Assassin into my collection." She smiled, deviously, with utter lack of respect for the defeated.

The air suddenly started choking Rin. This wasn't just due to Berserker's killing intent. She could see the shadow from her feet, creeping up, enveloping the trees and the floor beneath their feet. The entire area was slowly turning into a Reality Marble, an enclosed field where escape was impossible.

"This is my own ability," Illya noted. "Well, it's not exactly, but I'll use it this way. Soon you'll be enclosed in a field where escape is impossible."

Tohsaka looked at Archer, who was in a firm battle stance, ready to protect Rin at any instant. She looked down, glancing at her command seal. She knew that if she used her last Command Seal, then she would lose any right to Archer. However, she feared death, and she knew that Berserker would tear them both to pieces, no matter how strong Archer was.

"However, I'll let you live," Illya said amused. "If you leave Archer here. I'm not completely heartless, you know. That is, if you will use your Command Seal to escape."

Falling to her knees, she couldn't help but despair in her sorrow. This was the end of the road for her, losing in the mere beginning of the war. She couldn't believe how stupid she was, allowing herself into this trap. She looked at Archer, wondering what he was thinking. He was still waiting for her Master's orders.

"I don't think," he says with bold determination. "That we have a choice."

"Yeah, I guess it's goodbye, right."

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you. You were a good Master, but this opponent is clearly overpowered."

"At least we agree on something."

She smiled. At least, until the end, he had that shining sense of humor, that smile that she loved. Perhaps even from the very beginning, there was something in Archer that bound them together from the very beginning. She wouldn't have been surprised that the reason he was summoned was because of Fate.

"Don't give upon all hope, though, Rin," he grinned. "That's just not you. You'll escape from here, and you'll figure out something with that Shirou idiot. You'll defeat Ilya and be like 'this is payback for Archer!' You'll even win the war and wish for something stupid like ruling the world. Actually that'd be kind of scary don't you think?"

"You're so…stupid Archer," Rin laughed half-heartedly. This was the end, but Archer still had to crack his last stupid joke.

"Seriously, though, call out the last Command Seal. With its power, I should secure a way out of here, at least for you."

She took a last proud stand, ready to accept what was going on. Ilya was right in front of them, and they were inside some twisted reality marble. Berserker, or Hercules, was there, readying his Noble Phantasm Nine Lives. Archer only had four barriers left from Rho Aias, enough for her to escape the onslaught. However, once they hit their target, there would be no trace of him left.

"Goodbye," she said sorrowfully, tears in her eyes. "It was nice while it lasted."

"Yeah."

She raised her hand, revealing the Command Spell in her arm, rising out of her red coat.

"Archer! Get me, your Master, out of here!"

Illya quickly responded, "Berserker, quickly, attack! Don't let Archer escape—capture him with all your might."

Another Command Spell off her knee quickly evaporated, and Berserker let loose another volley of light-defying arrows. However, these arrows transformed into chains, chains which bound Archer into the ground. They didn't deal mortal wounds, but by their very nature, Archer would not be able to escape. He was doomed to die in this place.

At the same time, a gap defying time and space opened, which contained an escape route for the two. It was difficult to see what would happen, since Archer would need to take Rin with her to escape.

In the blink of an eye, Rin was gone. However, Archer remained. He was no longer Rin's Servant, but just another heroic counter-guardian, about to face the monstrosity that was Ilya and her Servant Hercules. Held to this realm by Nine Lives' chains, he released the fragments of Rho Aias; he no longer needed it for his last remaining act.

"Are you ready to die, Archer? Or would you rather join me? I know who you are; you are Emiya Shirou, the realization of his ideals. I know it is so, because the etherealite that my alternate self placed in you is still there. We are connected."

The shadow was starting to engulf him, but at the same time it was repelled. "No thanks, Ilya. I won't be convinced so easily, and it seems that you won't be able to capture me so easily either. I will die here," Archer boldly said. "But not before I get to crack a few hits at your Servant."

Berserker laughed greatly. No matter who Archer used to be, he was still a human, and he was half god. However, his audacity was to be commended. He stepped forth once again, trembling the earth beneath his feet.

"You are strong, human. I'll see if you are a match for me. Let's see why you are the Servant Archer."

Archer grinned, leaning into his battle stance. In his human life, he never really dreamed that he would engage in fights with gods and monsters, but in his afterlife it seemed that that was all he really did. He cursed his misfortune, but now he was excited. Of course, he would die, so the fear of death was now absent in him.

"I am the bone of the sword…"

Of course, he had regrets. There was only one goal in his mind when he had entered the Holy Grail War, and it was sadly unfulfilled. Then again, knowing about the troubles ahead, it was unlikely that he would have ever had the chance to obtain his wish.

"Steel is my body and fire is my blood."

Berserker instantly released another bombardment of arrows, now materializing into swords, ready to pierce into his side. However, seven more swords appeared to parry the attacks. They still left rough wounds in Archer, but it did not kill him.

"I have created over a thousand blades."

Ilya mocked Archer, "Keep playing with him, Berserker. I don't want him dead just yet. I want him begging for his life, read to die in the hands of a REAL hero."

He continued walking towards Berserker, who released more light-binding arrows, becoming lances and katanas and other weapons. However, they were unable to kill him. Hercules could see that his strength was fading; he could not last too long on his independent mana, but he could not help but admire this fading figure.

"I have created over a thousand blades,

Unknown to death, nor known to life."

Berserker said to Emiya Shirou, "I will let you finish this incantation. After all, I want to defeat you at her best. That is my MASTER's wishes."

"Have withstood pain to create many weapons

Yet, those hands will never hold anything."

Illya was excited. "Show me something cool, onii-chan. I want to see how you've progressed after all these years."

"So, as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works."

Ilya then grew quiet as the world suddenly changed to that field of swords, the dust and soot breathing over the earth. This was not a battle; this was a massacre. There was no chivalry in all this.

"But try your best to save me."

Tohsaka Rin woke up outside her house, bruised and hurt from the impact of the warp that she was put through. It was not normal for humans to transcend the space-time continuum, so it would leave lasting effects on her. For the most part, though she would be completely exhausted and void of magical energy for a day or two.

But that was not her main concern. What had happened to Archer? She looked around, and saw the gallant figure a few feet from her.

"Archer! You're alive!" she said, with some faint shred of hope that perhaps he had defeated Berserker and escaped from the shadow.

He turned around and revealed a sorrowful face. "I'm sorry, Rin, but that isn't the case. Even with all my power, I only took out two of Berserker's lives before running out of mana."

"But…you're here, in front of me, aren't you? I can still make a contract with you and we can fight together."

"It seems…" Archer said skeptically. "That she let a part of me escape to take you here, probably out of pity. However, even I won't be able to exist but for a few hours, and I am unable to make a contract."

Rin was discouraged and sad. This really was the end, and the fact that Archer was here right now did not change anything. This was just some mockery from Ilya, to remind Rin that it was all over.

"But I have a plan. It's very strange, but it seems that in response to Ilya's corruption, the earth has summoned yet another counter-guardian."

"Wait, what do you mean," Rin wondered. "What's this about Ilya's corruption, why is a counter-guardian here?"

"You'll know soon," Archer said as he prepared to sprint towards the light in the sky. "I can sense 'him', and he'll probably come here for you. I can at least arrange that. You will be able to make a contract with him like any other Servant. But don't be too surprised."

He turned around to Rin, and looked close at her face. Rin blushed; they were close enough to kiss, but he soon pulled back and ran off.

"You know, for a time, I actually used to admire you?"

And there he went, gone like he said he would. Rin was awe-struck. After all, what could she say? So much had happened in the last few hours, and it seemed like this night would last forever. The notion of returning to Shirou and telling him what happened just didn't seem possible. Somewhere along the way, something incredible had happened, and the cogs of fate would keep turning, creating something that would amaze everyone.

Sneak peak—

"So," Shirou said, looking closely at Archer. "You really think that I would go back to doing 'that' all over again?"

Archer shrugged his shoulders, "It's the only way, boy."

"I refuse. I'm not the same person as you thought I was. Stuff happened. People changed. I lost a lot that I should have had. I don't want to be a hero anymore. I'm not strong enough…even until the end I didn't have enough power to save her…"

Archer smiled. This was the answer that he would have given, but not what 'he' should have given. This Shirou was a lot closer to him than he had thought.

"A long time ago, you gave up your ideals for that girl. But you know, an even longer time ago, you said that you wanted to be a hero. Your world is over, but if you want to save the girl you love here, then you'll have to take up those shackles again Take up your old ideals."

He held out his right hand. Shirou looked at it with some skepticism, but he couldn't do anything but accept. This was the chance he'd been praying for. He wanted power. He wanted strength and experience. All along, he wanted the power to save everyone. And this was his own chance.

Berserker Statistics

Spirit: Hercules

Master: Illyasviet von Einzbern

Alignment: Lawful Neutral Class Skills : Mad Enhancement (E) – Non existent

Strength: A+ N. Phantasm: A+ Personal Skills : Battle Continuation : A

Mana: A+ Endurance: A+ Bravery : A+ Divinity : A+

Agility: A Luck: A Eye of the Mind (True) B+

Noble Phantasm : Nine Lives – Anti Unit – A+

God Hand - Support - B


End file.
